QinetiQ wins $51 million contract with the Canadian Armed Forces’ UAS service programme

QinetiQ has been awarded a $51 million (Canadian dollars/£30 million) contract to deliver unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) that will drive enhanced situational awareness for the Canadian Armed Forces.

QinetiQ has been awarded a $51 million (Canadian dollars/£30 million) contract to deliver unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) that will drive enhanced situational awareness for the Canadian Armed Forces.

The contract will be delivered from QinetiQ’s unmanned vehicle manufacturing and operational facilities in Medicine Hat, Alberta.

The vertical take-off UAS will provide Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) services to the Royal Canadian Navy and Special Operations Forces Command, for both domestic and international operations.

Four partners

QinetiQ will work with four main partners to deliver the ISTAR services: UAV provider Canadian-UAV, Leonardo, UMS SKELDAR and L3 Wescam.

The system is based on UMS SKELDAR’s V-200, and will be equipped with several sensors including an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and Electro-Optic Infrared (EO/IR) camera.

Robert Aube, Managing Director of QinetiQ in Canada, said: “We are delighted with this contract win to deliver critical over-the-horizon situation awareness to the Royal Canadian Navy and Special Operations Forces Command.

"This generates tactical advantages for commanders while minimising the risk to manned helicopters and personnel. As a result of the contract, we will be pleased to see a large number of jobs created in the Southern Alberta region where UAS repair and overhaul services will be carried out.”